kscans

Chapter 198 - Episode 12: Landing

Facing south, a crescent-shaped hill jutted out into the great river. At its foot, I gazed at the hazy opposite bank. It forced me to acknowledge the distance from the country where I was born and raised.

A single Kingdom flag stood atop the hill. It was a declaration that this place, the planned site of a new city, was Kingdom territory. Even though it was unclaimed land, as a citizen of the Kingdom, and considering the new city planned to be built here in the future, it evoked deep feelings. However, thinking about what lay ahead, I had no leeway to innocently shout, "Long live the Kingdom."

Looking closely, weathered fortifications remained in places on the hill. The lower parts had been eroded by the river. They must have been quite old.

So far, everything had gone smoothly. We boarded a boat a little west of the wyvern territory that jutted into Kingdom land, then rode the downstream current, cutting diagonally across the great river. Partly because the time was short, we avoided a battle with wyverns on the water. We must have been lucky.

Incidentally, we were supposed to have conducted drills in the wyvern territory that extended into Kingdom land. Wyverns, which usually made an appearance in small numbers each year, did not come even after we waited. This was a cause for concern.

I looked at the distant opposite bank once more. From there, further south lay the Royal Capital. ...She must be heading even further south. And I was now heading north...

There was no particular problem. I would separate Alfina from the crystal, and I would do what was necessary for the disaster hypothesis. The increasing distance had a clear meaning and benefit.

"Fabius-kakka, please give me some work as well..."

Shaking off the fuzziness in my heart, I went around the hill. I spoke to the old knight, no, the old baron, who was managing the baggage train. He was in charge of the transport for this unit. As someone useless in combat, I intended to be his subordinate until we reached Maldras.

"Special Envoy-dono. Please be dignified."

"But Baron-kakka, even you are..."

I said to Fabius, who was loading the cargo unloaded from the ship onto horses with his subordinates.

"I was never one for titles like Baron, you see."

Fabius laughed, his face full of wrinkles. In that case, I thought my "Special Envoy-dono is not my style" argument would win, but...

"Oh dear, my wife called me a swindler for the first time in ages."

"Called a swindler?"

I recalled his elegant, white-haired wife and his son's couple, who had seen Fabius off before we departed. She was an old woman who must have been quite beautiful in her youth.

"Hah hah hah, truth be told, I fell head over heels for my wife when she was a 'flower on a tall peak' in my youth. I was so audacious in my youth that I told her I would surely obtain a noble title someday, and that's how I managed to win her over. Thanks to that, she'd tell me I tricked her every chance she got after we married. Well, that stopped after our son was born, you see. But now that things have come to this, it seems to have brought it all back to her."

"That's quite the story..."

As someone who had heard his wife tell him, "Why don't you decline the title and retire?", I couldn't help but feel responsible for getting him involved.

"Special Envoy-dono, you too had a flower in each hand before departure, didn't you?"

"No, those were just colleagues from work, I'd say..."

"Oh, that's right. Special Envoy-dono's 'flower on a tall peak' is far beyond my own situation... No, no, considering Special Envoy-dono's past achievements, perhaps that's rude of me to say."

chiku ri My chest gave a sharp pang. Alfina, whom I had tried not to think about, flashed through my mind. Her sad face, just as it had been when we last met at the Grand Duke's residence, lingered.

◇◇

"Ricardo-kun!"

A voice called out, stopping me in the corridor of the Grand Duke's residence. I heard the pata pata sound of hurried footsteps approaching. I slowly turned around. My heart fluttered slightly at her unique way of calling me "Ricardo-kun," and her firm, hurried footsteps towards me reassured me. At the same time, I felt troubled by the desperate expression on her face.

"Still, I cannot agree. Why must Ricardo-kun always be the one to go to dangerous places? As the Oracle Princess, I should be heading to the safe south..."

Alfina pleaded with me. To identify the disaster zone, or more precisely, to find a place that wouldn't be affected, Alfina was first heading south under the guise of a pilgrimage.

"It's not about safety or anything like that, Alfina-sama. It's an important duty that only you can fulfill."

I said it as gently as possible. It was the truth. Alfina had no need to feel guilty. Alfina shook her head.

"More than about me, it's about Ricardo-kun. Haven't you, Ricardo-kun, already worked more than enough for the prophecy? If Ricardo-kun hadn't been here, the disaster would have caused significant damage countless times. Yet again, you are..."

Alfina's words made me feel guilty. Much of what I had done was only possible because I possessed knowledge from Earth, after all. And Alfina being by my side, worrying about me so much, if you get to the root of it... And I took advantage of that...

No, I should calmly persuade her here. The intelligent Alfina should understand if I explained it properly.

"...Building a new city across the river is my dream, after all. In that sense, it's like killing two birds with one stone, you could say. Well, you could say it's a business trip for the Vinder Company with a national escort."

I listed my own benefits.

"It's because I got you involved. Yes, Ricardo-kun, won't you come with me? Because I wish for it."

Ignoring my words, Alfina took my hand. Feeling the softness and warmth of her hand, her self-contained words bothered me a little.

I no longer had a single shred of regret about getting involved with Alfina. I was relieved that even if imperfectly, I had been able to take steps to protect her this time too. After all, the person I wanted to protect most was the girl right in front of me, and this was a matter of my own will.

"It will be alright. After all, Prince Craig-denka is coming along too."

Still, I tried to soothe Alfina.

"...That's not what I mean."

Alfina lowered her face. It was an uncharacteristic way for her to speak. Did it mean my words weren't getting through? Silence enveloped the corridor. Claudia and Luiza, who were behind Alfina, didn't approach at all.

"............I..."

"Alfina-sama?"

"I said it's dangerous for me. Don't my words reach you, Ricardo-kun? If I can't even protect the person I want to protect most, and instead put them in danger, then what am I for..."

Tears welled up in Alfina's raised eyes. At an expression I had never seen before, I was inadvertently unsettled.

No, this was different from before. I wasn't wrong. Even Alfina must understand. I was needed. Besides, there was no way to stop now, not after getting even Prince Craig involved.

First and foremost, if I did that, I wouldn't be able to protect the person I cared about most. Unspoken words swirled within the cage of my heart. I clenched my fist.

"...It will be alright. Princess Maytyl-denka is coming with us too, after all."

Barely suppressing my true feelings, I tried to reassure her. Alfina's work, traveling through several cities, was certainly not easy. Searching for a safe zone from the disaster, if one even existed, must be an enormous pressure.

"gasp............That's enough."

I could only silently watch Alfina shake her head with a sad expression. It was only after I returned to my room that I realized I had had an argument with her.

◇◇

A little distance from the knight order, I headed towards a group of people who were sending cynical glances at the Kingdom flag fluttering atop the hill.

"Should I say, 'Welcome to this side of the river'? Or should it be, 'Excuse us for intruding on Ricardo's future land'?"

Maytyl, who spotted me, said cynically. Behind her stood the three sorcerers who had been the last remaining prisoners.

"...What's wrong? Why are you looking at me with such a strange face?"

I couldn't help but stare intently at Maytyl. It was because of the commotion before departure that I had just been recalling.

"No, I was just thinking how well it went."

I was grateful that she had come along. She was experienced in fighting wyverns, and an expert in magic staves. Both before our departure and during our journey here, she had overseen training with the improved magic staves alongside the remaining few prisoners. Though Prince Craig was also something else for allowing it.

"I appreciate your cooperation."

"Hmph. You people have never even fought wyverns, so it can't be helped, can it? Well, don't expect too much. This is our first time setting foot here too, after all."

Maytyl's face turned displeased.

"Special Envoy-dono. His Highness is calling you."

Hyde came to call me.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"You've arrived, Ricardo. Look, isn't it quite a sight?"

When I ascended the hill, Prince Craig was looking far to the north. It was the complete opposite of me, who had been regretfully looking south until just now. The wyvern territory spreading before our eyes was a triangular plain. To the west lay the mountainous Imperial territory, to the east, the Blood Mountains, and to the south, the great river.

To the north, at the very back of the triangular plain, a single isolated mountain could be seen. At its base, there should be a city that was destroyed in a great disaster 400 years ago. Our final destination was far away.

To the northwest, a continuous mountain range and a small gap could be seen. Beyond that, probably lay Lisabet's Maldras. That was our immediate destination.

"We have confirmed a group of what appear to be wyverns approaching us."

One of the knights reported. Looking where he pointed, three groups of wyverns were approaching. It seemed they had noticed the humans who had trespassed into their territory, or rather, a herd of mammals that had come to their feeding ground. So, it's finally happening... I looked at the magic staves in the hands of the gathering knights.

"Shall we begin the preliminary skirmish?"

Prince Craig said to the assembled knights. Maytyl and her group also lined up beside them. All of them held golden magic staves. Two parts were attached to each magic staff. A cartridge was at the back of the staff, and a cylindrical attachment was near the tip. Furthermore, several spare cartridges hung around their necks.

Unlike the captain, the knights had tense expressions. That was to be expected, as the enemy outnumbered them, exceeding twenty creatures. At this point, they were more numerous than our combatants. They had been like sesame seeds just moments ago, but now their winged dragon-like forms were discernible. Their approach speed was astonishingly fast.

Their formation was so orderly that it could be called a squadron rather than a mere flock. Each individual group was a triangle, and these were further arranged into a larger triangle. For creatures related to lizards, they were remarkably well-organized.

"Now is the time to test its power. They have come all this way to us from afar. If we struggle at this distance, we can't even dream of pushing through."

Prince Craig raised his own magic staff. His confident bearing alone raised everyone's morale. Indeed, we had made all the preparations we could.

"The Knight Corps will handle the front. The Sorcerer Corps will guard against flanking attacks."

The adjutant issued orders. I rejoined Fabius and his group, who were being protected by the Knight Corps and Sorcerer Corps. Fabius handed me a small pot. It contained the Magic Inhibitor [IG-1]. It was only slightly better than nothing, but it couldn't be helped.

"Sorry to be selfish, but this is our land now."

Towards the leading wyvern, which had begun to descend, I uttered a line that felt like a symbol of human arrogance.